Reviews

I have been given this product as part of a product review through the Chronic Illness Bloggers Network. Although the product was a gift, all opinions in this review remain my own and I was in no way influenced by the company.

Invigorate Lotion is a pain relieving lotion from Resonant Botanicals that is designed for people living with chronic pain resulting from conditions such as fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis or neuropathy.

Like many people in the chronic illness community, I’m tired of taking toxic pharmaceuticals to combat the pain that I live with every day and I’m always looking for something new to try.

Invigorate starts with an infusion of herbs such as turmeric, valerian, devil’s claw, Manjistha and Arjuna and those are steeped in organic Grape Seed Oil for over six weeks.Then, the infused herb oil is added to organic Hemp Oil, Hemp Oil Extract, Apricot Kernel Oil, Jojoba Oil, Clove Oil Extract, and Borage Oil, essential oils such as Sandalwood and Rose Otto from the Kazanlak region of Bulgaria, and combined (emulsified) into a truly delightful pain relieving lotion.

Sound good yet? The other key ingredients are:

MSM (Methyl Sulfonyl Methane) which you may have seen in supplement form. It’s said to have been very effective in treating arthritis patients.

Magnesium Oil is an excellent way to supplement magnesium. Many Americans do not get enough magnesium in their diets and as a result, it can contribute to conditions such as fatigue, cramps, insomnia, stress and hypertension.

My Experience

I’ve been using this product for about six weeks and feel that I’ve experienced an overall improvement in various aches and pains. I have some arthritis in my knees which is largely controlled with collagen powder taken internally but I think Invigorate has been a great way to attack the problem externally especially with the MSM and magnesium oil.

My major diagnosis is cervical dystonia. It’s a different kind of pain than fibromyalgia and arthritis. Many dystonia patients take magnesium supplements or oil to help boost muscle function. I do a number of different modalities to help my condition so I can’t say that Invigorate Lotion alone will help to reduce muscle spasm but I do feel it’s been a very helpful part of my regimen.

Invigorate lotion goes on very clean, not greasy at all and smells great, a very welcome change from the wintergreen/menthol I’m used to from various pain relieving products. It’s delivered via a pump nozzle. For me, it feels kind of tingly when it goes on, almost like I can feel the healthy ingredients going to work! It’s really nice to use a heating pad after you’ve applied the lotion. This combination does seem to improve the range of motion in my neck which is suffering the long term effects of chronic spasm and pulling for the past 7 years.

Invigorate Lotion is available in two sizes, an 8 ounce bottle for $55 and you can also just try out the 2 oz bottle for $20. The smaller bottle is approved for TSA travel rules and you can bring it on the plane with you. It may seem like a lot, but you only need a small amount.

One thing I really like about the company is their obvious commitment to help the chronic illness community, many of whom are struggling financially and are vulnerable to opioid addiction. They offer a Pay It Forward program that helps to share their products with those in need.

Here’s how the Pay It Forward program works:

1.Customers and Friends may contribute to the program through a donation which will be applied to the cost of an Invigorate or Qi of Calm™ two ounce lotion to help us reach those in need.Resonant Botanicals will cover the shipping and handling costs and provide our product at wholesale cost.

If you are in need, send your mailing address along with your product preference. Once the Program is funded, we will ship it to you at no cost.

2.Resonant Botanical Customers who have been liberated from prescription opioids through the use of our products can share a two ounce bottle with a friend in need.Simply leave us feedback and share your success story. Then enter your original order number and we will send them a two ounce lotion.

Thank you for helping us build a compassionate, caring and healing community.

Discloser: I was given this product as part of a product review through the Chronic Illness Bloggers network. Although the product was a gift, all opinions in this review remain my own and I was in no way influenced by the company. – Marya

In my ongoing quest to manage the chronic pain that’s a part of living with the condition cervical dystonia (a condition similar to Parkinson’s disease), I’m always looking for natural pain management. I’m a legal medical marijuana patient in Florida and while it’s effective it is mildly sedating and I was looking forward to trying the CBD Tincture from Liberty Lixir so that I could have something for during the daytime when I needed to drive and be alert.

What’s CBD Tincture?

CBD is a non-psychoactive cannabinoid commonly found in hemp. Liberty Lixir CBD Tincture product does not contain THC so there is no sedating or feeling of being high and it is available in all 50 states.

It’s been indicated that CBD may be a viable treatment for anxiety, chronic pain, stress, schizophrenia, dementia, neuralgia, alzheimers, strokes, arthritis, migraines, Parkinsons, and essentially any and every ailment, especially those which have a direct relationship to inflammation, since the evidence suggests that CBD is first and foremost a potent anti-inflammatory. In addition to its anti-inflammatory properties, recent scientific research has indicated that CBD may have profound immunoregulatory and neuroprotective effects. It appears that CBD not only helps the body repair and recover from illnesses, but also boosts health in general and protects against disease. (via Liberty Lixir)

Liberty Lixir describes their CBD Tincture as “Isolate CBD is refined in an extraction process which removes all of the terpenes and trace cannabinoids associated with CBD. This results in a colorless crystalline extract. Since organic coconut oil is also colorless, when the two ingredients are mixed together, the result is a colorless, if highly potent, fluid CBD product.”

My Experience

When this product arrived things were insane around here. Over the past two months we’ve been going through a major remodeling and a family outpatient surgery. Oh, and we also got a puppy. There was lots of stress and extra physical activity. Stress intensifies muscle spasm and pulling but sometimes there’s no way around it.

That being said, I was pretty happy to get this package in the mail! The package arrived well protected from the Florida elements and was easy to open up and use. It’s completely clear and tasteless. I held it under my tongue for about a minute. Within about 20 minutes I noticed a very noticeable increase in wellbeing and vitality.

I’ve continued taking the CBD tincture on a daily basis and I can definitely say it helped me feel more energetic and seemed to reduce overall pain levels (please note that everyone’s pain levels and symptoms are different…this is just my experience.) Not only that, I tend to get anxious when stress levels are high like this and I didn’t really experience any of that. I also have Epstein Barr and get sick quite easily during hectic times but I’ve remained pretty healthy.

I didn’t have the insomnia relief that others have reported, but I’m also very close to menopause and do experience a lot of hormonal fluctuations.

I’d definitely recommend Liberty Lixir CBD Tincture to anyone looking for natural pain or anxiety relief. The price is pretty comparable to other CBD products that I’ve seen online or at the natural food store. Shipping and return policy is very reasonable. More info can be found here.

If you use my coupon code chronicmomlife you’ll get 10% off your purchase. They have a number of products, including Liberty Lotion which I’ll be reviewing very soon!

This is a sponsored post. I have been given Visibiome as part of a product review through the Chronic Illness Bloggers Network. Although the product was a gift, all opinions in this review remain my own and I was in no way influenced by the company.

Visbiome is a medical food intended for the dietary management of dysbiosis associated with irritable bowel syndrome, ulcerative colitis, pouchitis, and hepatic encephalopathy. Visbiome is a non-drug therapy that addresses distinct nutritional requirements, to promote microbial balance, to people with these conditions that cannot be addressed by modification of the diet alone. The version I was given was Visbiome’s Regular Strength High Potency Probiotic in capsule form. Other Visibiome product options are a lemon cream flavored powder and an unflavored powder.

It is strongly recommended that Visbiome be taken under the supervision of a medical doctor. Each capsule of Regular Strength Visbiome contains 112.5 billion bacteria.

So what are probiotics anyway? Probiotics are live bacteria and yeasts that are great for your overall health, but most importantly your digestive system. Many people do not eat a nutritionally dense diet, and one that’s often filled with processed food and too many carbohydrates.

This can result in an imbalance in the gut flora which in addition to causing digestive upset, can also be a contributing factor to skin conditions like eczema, urinary tract infections, yeast infections, compromised immunity and impaired oral health.

Probiotics can be found anywhere but whichever one you choose, it’s important to get one that’s refrigerated. Visibiome came in a cold pack that I promptly put in the refrigerator.

I’ve struggled with irritable bowel syndrome since I was a teenager. For me, this usually manifests as spasmodic diarrhea that just keeps going on and on (TMI, I know!) When this flares, it’s debilitating, exhausting and usually puts me in bed by the middle of the day. My usual course of action is to pop an Immodium D or the anti-spasmodic that my doctor recently prescribed.

When my sample arrived, I was in the midst of a bad flare. Unfortunately when I get sick with something as simple as an upper respiratory infection, it makes my IBS flare as well. Sometimes it can take weeks for the nausea and other symptoms to go away. I started taking two per day (admittedly I didn’t call the doctor but he has suggested probiotics before). I noticed a distinct improvement in symptoms within a few days and I didn’t have any further IBS flares during the time I was taking Visibiome.

Having your digestive symptoms under control is such a great feeling of freedom. I’d definitely recommend this product to anyone suffering with digestion issues or wants to improve overall health, but it is always best to check with your doctor first to see if it’s safe for your condition and if there is any potential conflict with any other medications or supplements that you might be taking.

DISCLAIMER: This is a sponsored post. I was given the Luxe Bidet Neo185 to review through the Chronic Illness Bloggers Network. Although the product was a gift, all opinions in this review remain my own and I was in no way influenced by any of the companies. I will always give you an open, honest review of any product I receive.

I’ve struggled with Irritable Bowel Syndrome since I was a teenager. For me, it manifests as spasmodic diarrhea that just will not stop until I am almost about to pass out. Making multiple trips to the bathroom to wipe over and over again causes burning, raw pain that is miserable. And since our property uses a septic system, we have to be careful about throwing paper into the toilet. So yep…that means the used tissue will pile up in the waste basket while I’m in the midst of one of these episodes while I’m doubled over in pain in my bed.

Not only that, I’ve also struggled with heavy periods and endometriosis for years. And oh joy, sometimes everything will flare at the same time, and life gets really messy.

I’ve heard of bidets before but never thought about trying one. So when I was offered the chance to try the Luxe Bidet Neo 185, I was happy to give it a try. A bidet is a device that gets installed on your toilet that shoots a stream of water onto your bottom to clean the area which will reduce or even eliminate the need for toiled paper.

I have no mechanical skills whatsoever, so my handy husband got it installed in about half an hour. Other reviewers who installed it themselves were able to do it with little difficulty.

The Neo 185 fits seamlessly in my bathroom, and I do have a pretty small bathroom. It isn’t clunky at all. It has two knobs, one controls the water pressure and the other directs the cleaning from front to back. I’ve kept it really simple since I’ve been using it. I just use a low pressure and shift forward when I need to.

This model is not temperature controlled. Since I live in Florida, this isn’t a big issue but others in northern climates might want to take that into consideration and get a version that heats water.

At this 50-something stage of my life, I can honestly say that I wish I had one of these years ago instead of struggling with a raw bottom for so many years during and after an IBS flare. Another benefit is a reduced need for toilet paper, though you will want to use a small amount to dry yourself after use.

A bidet is also a great product for families of children or adults with special needs who need toileting support and could even help to increase independence in this area. I’m hoping to get one for the second bathroom for my son when we can (a heated version is going to work best here!)

This bidet also includes an 18 month warranty and free extended warranty when you register your bidet online. The Luxe Bidet company promises to provide full customer support anytime you have questions or concerns.

This blog uses affiliate links. They do not affect the cost of the product for you, but I receive a small commission for recommending them. I only recommend products that I feel comfortable with and believe would benefit my readers. Thanks for your support!

The more digitized our world becomes, the more I find myself appreciating fine paper products. These days we stay in touch with friends and family all year long via social media and don’t get me wrong..it can be fun and convenient. However, there’s nothing like receiving a real, old fashioned Christmas card and displaying them around your home. True story…I treasure cards and have saved virtually almost every single one I’ve received over my lifetime.

With that being said, I was delighted when Minted asked me to review their holiday cards and gift ideas. I hadn’t heard of them before but I loved looking around their site. Minted offers a unique selection of hundreds of designs from a global community of independent designers. Options that set Minted apart include a selection of papers such as their signature paper (a beautifully thick, 120 lb., 17 point thickness that you’d normally find on fine stationary) recycled paper, pearlescent paper or double thicker. Choose photos on the front, flat or foiled pressed printing with express shipping available on many options.

Here are a few holiday card selections that I loved from Minted.

The uploading process is simple. You can choose one photo or multiple photos to create your own unique holiday card. Personalize it by changing the text. Then choose from a variety of envelopes (preprinted if you like..what a timesaver!) Express shipping is available for an extra charge if needed.

Minted also offers a number of beautiful gift options. One of my favorites is the Foil Pressed Heart Snapshot Mix Photo Art Print. Pick 30 of your favorite photos and special memories. Each piece will be handpressed individually with real foil. This makes a special gift for yourself, or give to another family member or friend for a treasured memento.

For other gift ideas, take a look at Minted’s framed art prints featuring unique limited art prints from their global community of artists. Choose your favorite print in sizes ranging from 7″x5″ to 60″x44″, either framed or unframed.

Minted also features a vast selection of fine paper products including wedding invitations, birth announcements, religious celebrations, stationary and gifts as well as art and room decor.

To celebrate and remember life’s most memorable moments, make an impact by choosing exquisite paper products from Minted.

(This is a sponsored post. I received payment/product from Minted in exchange for reviewing the site. But as my readers know, I only review products that I feel comfortable recommending!)

My husband and I went to see Moms’ Night Out last weekend. I didn’t research the movie at all and only saw the clip with Trace Adkins beforehand. (A bit about us…we’re from the Northeast. We’re as cynical and sarcastic as they come. My husband is a former Marine and retired police officer. He’s got a comment for and about everything.)

I’ve been a little mystified at the online drama surrounding Moms’ Night Out. A number of sophisticated film critics were saying that it was regressive, and frightening in its demeaning and stereotypical portrayal of women. Most online reviews have been consistently negative.

But the feedback on my Facebook stream was quite different. Most of my friends loved the movie and highly recommended it. Why would that be?

Because it’s about many of us. Some of us have chosen this crazy stay at home mom’s life. (Notice that I said chose. We weren’t forced into it.) But we get overwhelmed. It’s exhausting. Our houses are messy. Once in awhile we just want to have a conversation with another adult. I did cringe a little bit when I saw she was a mom blogger. (I had a fleeting thought that I had become a cliche and should stop blogging.)

There were a number of jokes in the movie that were probably more relatable if you are familiar with the Christian subculture. Many of us know a woman who is some version of Sondra (Patricia Heaton). We are familiar with the rushed Sunday mornings trying to get the family dressed and out to church only to have someone tap us on the shoulder halfway through the service because our child is crying inconsolably or had a potty accident (or our special needs child is having a meltdown). We all know at least one sanctimonious church member who looks down her perfectly groomed self at us and wonders why we can’t get our act together. (I’ve actually had someone remove the glasses from my face to wipe them off for me. I guess I forgot.) We speed to church with a Christian fish symbol on the back of our minivans.

Some Christians have said that the movie should have portrayed Allyson starting her morning off with reading her Bible and she might not have been so overwhelmed. In the interest of full disclosure, I usually start my mornings trying to wake up over my coffee and Facebook. Just keeping it real.

With all that out of the way, we loved Moms’ Night Out. It wasn’t perfect (and again, is any movie perfect?) We were probably some of the loudest people laughing in the theater. We thought the whole van chase sequence was one of the funniest parts of the movie and the scene with Trace Adkins the most touching. Was it preachy? We didn’t think so. I suspect it was very real and was a gentle and genuine expression of his faith journey. As a person who shares the recovery walk, I get that too.

Moms’ Night Out may not describe everyone’s mothering experience exactly. Does it have to? Some of us are stay at home moms and have the luxury of not having to work. Some of us are trying to work online. Some of us work outside the home. But we can relate to and laugh at the craziness that comes along with mothering. In the end, it’s worth it.

And then I cried at the end when they dedicated it to all moms. That’s the message of the movie to me. This is what we do and our hard work does not go unnoticed.

Courtney Joseph of Women Living Well and Good Morning Girls is the author of Women Living Well, Find Your Joy in God, Your Man, Your Kids, and Your Home. (Disclaimer: I received this book as a review copy.)

The social media changes of our lifetime have transformed the landscape of the lives of mothers, yet God’s principles remain timeless. Women Living Well is an encouragement to mothers to find the time in their too-busy lives to make the time to walk with the King. The book is divided into four parts.

Part One – Your Walk With the King

I loved this section and read through it quickly. It reminds the reader to take the time to slow down to connect with God and offers practical ideas to have a more meaningful quiet time with God. The last section discusses the effects of the media revolution on our lives and offers many helpful tips on using social media time wisely. (Lessons I wish I knew years ago!)

Part Two – Your Marriage

Women Living Well opens with a narrative from Courtney Joseph’s experience on the Rachel Ray show which she felt did not go well. I have to admit wanting to throw down my iPad a few times while reading this section. My marriage is more egalitarian leaning and I disagreed with a few of her points but she is very gracious in stating that her and her husband have taken traditional roles in their home as this is what works for them. No matter whether our views are complementarian or egalitarian, we can all continue to learn to love and respect our husbands more, whether we are newlyweds or married for years.

Part Three – Your Parenting

Courtney shares timeless biblical truths about parenting interweaved with her own story. As with the preceding chapters, she offers practical tips as well as discussing the impact of the media revolution in the lives of our children. She is gracious in discussing the various educational options to consider.

Part Four – Your Homemaking

Practical ideas for juggling homemaking, ministry and work are offered here, as well as tips for bringing peace to your home and discussing the impact of media on our households.

I thought I had burned out on the topics of the Proverbs 31 Woman, homemaking and parenting topics but I enjoyed the fresh perspective of this book and highly recommend it.